With Locker’s stock unstable, Titans look closer

This time last year, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said it was “etched in stone” that Washington’s Jake Locker would be the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. Now, Kiper’s calling him a possible late first round pick.

Locker is being examined as closely as any quarterback in the upcoming draft, however. He’s visiting Baptist Sports Park on Monday, and has been making the rounds with other quarterback-needy teams. The Titans also attended his pro day last month and put him through another workout the following day.

The Titans are looking at all the quarterbacks. TCU’s Andy Dalton will visit tomorrow, Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert is coming to town and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett is scheduled to visit on April 18. The Titans have already had visits from Cam Newton (Auburn), Christian Ponder (Florida State), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Nathan Enderle (Idaho).

“For me, I still hold out hope that Locker can be a real good quarterback. He is a great kid and has all the physical skills you would want,” Kiper said. “But when the balls leave his hands sometimes you don’t know where it is going. He was the No. 1 pick overall going into this year for a reason.

“(But) he didn’t play like a No.1 pick (in 2010). He played like a guy that was going to have some people who really liked his potential which they still do and some people are completely down on Jake Locker. … I am going to hold out hope. Some people still think he can be great.”

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said on Monday he thinks there’s a scenario where Locker could go to the Titans at eighth overall. Kiper mentioned the Vikings (12th) and Seahawks (25th) as possibilities.

Locker competed 55.4 percent of his passes in 2010.

“He didn’t have great talent around him and he did play through injuries, I’ll give him credit for that,” Kiper said. “But the accuracy is an issue. In the pocket awareness and accuracy is an issue.”